Buddy Moorehouse

When Georgia Tech came to Michigan in 1934, the Wolverines were forced to bench their best play, Willis Ward, because he was an African-American. The incident infuriated Ward’s best friend on the team, a future president by the name of Jerry Ford, who threatened to quit the team in response. The friendship that began in the Big House lasted all the way to the White House. This is the story of two schools, two friends, and a game that changed everything.

The story of the 1934 game between Michigan and Georgia Tech, the benching of Michigan's African-American player, Willis Ward, and the impact it had on fellow player and future President of the United States, Gerald Ford.